Folding stretcher



April- 6, 1965 J. c. sHUMP FOLDING STRETCHER med Aug.V 1s, 1963 3,l76,32l FGLDlNG STRETCHER .lohn Conrad Shrimp, 9920 SW. Terwilliger Blvd., Portimd, Greg. Filed Aug. 13, i963, Ser. No. tliltl 6 Claims. (Cl. 5-8Z) This invention relates to folding stretchers of the class useful to first aid personnel, military personnel, hunters and forest lire lighters.

It is the general object 'of the present invention to provide a stretcher which may be transported easily in folded position and thereafter opened out readily to a sturdy use position.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a foldable stretcher which can be carried comfortably without binding of chang.

Still a further object of the present invention is the provision of a foldable stretcher having the webbing releasably mounted for renewal or cleaning.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a foldable stretcher the webbing of which provides, when the stretcher is in folded position, a pack cavity of substantial size adapted to receive blankets, supplies, clothing, or other gear.

Yet a further object of the present invention is the provision of a foldable stretcher which is readily manufactured and assembled.

The manner in which the foregoing and other objects of this invention are accomplished will be apparent from the accompanying specification and claims considered together with the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan View of the presently described stretcher opened out to its unfolded use position;

FlG. 2 is a side elevation of the stretcher of FIG. 1 in its unfolded position, illustrating the manner in which it may be folded;

FIG. 3 is a View in side elevation of the presently described stretcher in its folded arrangement;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are transverse sectional views taken along lines 4-4 and 5-5 of FIG. 2, respectively, and illustrating the cross bracing arrangement employed in the herein described folded stretcher; and

FIG. 6 is a detail fragmentary view in elevation of a bracing member taken along line 6 6 of FIG. 5.

In the form of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the folding stretcher of my invention includes a pair of laterally spaced, parallel side rails, each comprised of a plurality of opposed pair of sheet metal sections arranged end to end, hinged together in foldable relation, and supporting stretcher web means. The sections of which the illustrated stretcher is comprised thus include head section 1li, central sections 12, 14 and foot section le.

Head section l is defined by side rail sections 18, the upper side margins of which are bent inwardly to form flanges 2t?. The end edges of the rail sections are beveled to eliminate sharp corners. The ilanges 2li of the rail sections contain spaced openings by means of which the stretcher webbing is mounted. Also, their end margins are cut away, as indicated at 22, to provide room for the fastening means used to mount the webbing.

Stretcher section l2 is defined similarly by a pair of rail sections 24 formed with inwardly directed iianges 26 which are perforated to provide webbing mounting openings, and the ends of which are cut away at 28.

Stretcher section 14 is closely similar to section l2,

eing dened by side rail sections 30, with flanges 32 having perforations and cut away portions 34, as described above.

Foot section 16 in like manner is formed from a pair United States Patent O lCC of parallel rail sections 36 having inwardly directed flanges 33 and web-mounting openings through the lianges.

All of the rail sections thus described conveniently and inexpensively may be stamped from sheet metal of appropriate gauge, which then is bent to form the inwardly-directed, flanged, upper side margins. Preferably, the flanges are bent at an angle of about 45 to the horizontal, as is shown particularly in FIGS. 4 and 5, in order to locate them in a plane which is substantially parallel to the plane of the adjacent webbing, eliminating projecting sharp edges.

Rail sections 1S, 24, 30 and 36 are of progressively narrower widths. Accordingly, when their ends are overlapped to form the completed rails, their lower margins lie in substantial alignment to form a continuous, straight, lower edge, as seen in FIG. 2.

The various rail sections are spaced, braced and hinged by cross bar assemblies located at spaced intervals the length of the rails.

Thus there are provided a head cross bar 4G, welded or otherwise hxed between side rail sections 18, and a foot cross bar 42 similarly welded or otherwise fixed between foot rail sections 36.

At the joint between rails sections 13 and 24, there is provided a hinging cross bar assembly, illustrated particularly in FIG. 4.

This assembly comprises a U-shaped cross bar 44 of sufficient depth to accommodate, for example, the body of a man lying on the stretcher. The ends of the cross bar are threaded to receive bolts 4e. The latter penetrate registering openings through the 'overlapped ends of rail sections 1d, 24 and are threaded into the ends of cross bars 44. In this manner, the cross bar is mounted between the rail sections while at the same time providing a hinge for connecting them.

A similar U-shaped cross bar is provided at the joint between the overlapped ends of rail sections 26 and 39. In this instance the cross bar, indicated at 48, is retained in place by bolts Sli.

The cross bar assembly joining the overlapped segments of rails 3d, 35 is of somewhat dilferent construction. It is illustrated particularly in FIG. 5.

As shown, it comprises a U-shaped assembly, indicated generally at 52, and including a horizontal cross bar 54 to the ends of which are fixed a pair of vertical plates 55. Angled braces 58, running between the plate and cross bar, stiften the assembly against both vertical and horizontal stresses. Bolts 6b are received in aligned openings through side rails 3i), 36 and plates 52. These secure the cross bar assembly to the side plates, while at the same time hinging the side .plates together in foldable relation.

The frame composed of the side rail segments and cross bars mounts webbing means suitable for stretcher use. Preferably the webbing means is supplied in sections 62, 64, 66, 68. Each section is dimensioned to conform to the area of the corresponding stretcher section.

The webbing is mounted on the frame by suitable means, for example, by means of S-hooks 70 mounted in grommeted openings in the webbing, and companion openings in the side rail section lianges, above described.

Appropriate handle means are provided at each end of the stretcher.

To this end side rail sections 1S at the stretcher head have cut away hand openings '72 near their outer ends. Handles 7d are fixed to the outside face surfaces of the rail sections, convenient to the hand holes, thereby furnishing suitable means for grasping the stretcher head.

Similarly, foot terminal side rail sections 36 are provided with cut out hand openings 76 adjacent their outer ends. Cooperating handles '7S are mounted on the inside face surfaces of the rail sections, thereby providing suitable handle means at the foot end of the stretcher.

It is to beV noted that handle members 74 and 78 are mounted on opposite face surfaces of their respective side rail sectionsso that they will not interfere with each other `when the stretcher is folded.

To render the stretcher readily portable when folded,

there also arel provided a pair of shoulderV straps 80j 26, 32, 3S which overlie the adjacent segments of thev flanges of the'nesting side rail sections maintain the' stretcher rigidly in its straightrline, ,operative position, where it is braced and additionally strengthened by cross n bars 40, 42, 44, 48, 52. Y

When the stretcher is notin use, it mal/be'folded by folding together sections 16, 14, in that order, and in the ldirection indicated by the arrows vof FIG. 2. Section then maybe folded in the `direction of the arrows to provide the folded unit illustrated yin FIG. 3.

tending openings in and hinging together each over- Y lapped section pair and connectig therends of a cross bar'thereto, f Y (e) handle means on the assembly, Y (f) web means stretched between the rails and spaced above the cross bars, and v (g) fastening means fastening the web means to the flanges, (h) the stretcher being adjustable between a folded position wherein the section pairs nest one within the adjacent overlapping one by folding at said bolt means from said one end of the assembly and an unfolded Yposition wherein the section pairs are held rigidly aligned by theoverlapping flanges at the respective ends thereof.

The folding stretcherof claim 1 wherein at least one opposite ends of the rail y of the cross bars comprises a U-'shaped metal tube having This unit may be carried as a pack by means of straps Y 8i?. Also, in view of thesegmented webbing, there is defined in the interior of the folded unit a pack cavity which may be used to transport blankets, clothing, or other types of gear.

It is to be understood that the ,form of my invention, V

herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that variouschanges in the shape, size and arrangement ofY parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my Vinvention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: l. A folding stretcher comprising: (a) a plurality of laterally spaced pairs of sheet metal sections arranged end to end to form an assemblyof laterally spaced, elongated side rails and having substantially the entire length of their upper margins bent inwardly to form flanges, Y (b) the ends Yof vtheV flanges of each section pairY facing one end of the assemblyfof pairs overlapping-the l oppositely facing ends of the llanges of the section pair next adjacent in articulated sequence, Y (c) a plurality of yU-shapedA cross bars disposed between the overlapped ends of the section pairs,

. (d) bolt means extending through aligned laterallyv exits ends threadedto receive the bolt means.y

. 3. The folding stretcher of claim l wherein at least one of the cross bars comprises a horizontal rod, and two vertical side plates fastened one to each end of the rod and threaded tofreceive. the bolt means. Y

4. The folding' stretcher of claim 1 wherein the fastening means comprise S-hooks each interconnecting an adjacent pairl of openings in the web means and in the flanges.` e

5. Thefolding stretcher of, claim 1 wherein the web lmeans is provided in longitudinally separate sections, one

for each side rail section pair and wherein the sheet metal rail sections are of sufficient width to form a pack cavity inside Ythe stretcher when Ythe ystretcher is in folded positOIl. i

' 6. The folding stretcher Yof claim 1 wherein the sides of the section pairs are successively narrower toward said one end of the assembly to maintain the straight line relation of the .lower edges thereof.

References Cited in the lile of this patent yUNITED STATES PATENTS Y 1,586,355 De'Franco May 25, 1926 2,124,643 Walger July 26, 1938 2,365,111. Y Russell Dec. 12, 1944 2,675,564 Hughes Apr. 20, 1954 2,947,607 f Gades Aug. 2, 1960 v FOREIGN PATENTS v 432,690 Great Britain July 31,1935

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A FOLDING STRETCHER COMPRISING: (A) A PLURALITY OF LATERALLY SPACED PAIRS OF SHEET METAL SECTIONS ARRANGED END TO END TO FORM AN ASSEMBLY OF LATERALLY SPACED, ELONGATED SIDE RAILS AND HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THEIR UPPER MARGINS BENT INWARDLY TO FORM FLANGES, (B) THE ENDS OF THE FLANGES OF EACH SECTION PAIR FACING ONE END OF THE ASSEMBLY OF PAIRS OVERLAPPING THE OPPOSITELY FACING ENDS OF THE FLANGES OF THE SECTION PAIR NEXT ADJACENT IN ARTICULATED SEQUENCE, (C) A PLURALITY OF U-SHAPED CROSS BARS DISPOSED BETWEEN THE OVERLAPPED ENDS OF THE SECTION PAIRS, (D) BOLT MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH ALIGNED LATERALLY EXTENDING OPENINGS IN AND HINGING TOGETHER EACH OVERLAPPED SECTION PAIR AND CONNECTING THE ENDS OF A CROSS BAR THERETO, (E) HANDLE MEANS ON THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE RAIL ASSEMBLY, (F) WEB MEANS STRETCHED BETWEEN THE RAILS AND SPACED ABOVE THE CROSS BARS, AND (G) FASTENING MEANS FASTENING THE WEB MEANS TO THE FLANGES, (H) THE STRETCHER BEING ADJUSTABLE BETWEEN A FOLDED POSITION WHEREIN THE SECTION PAIRS NEST ONE WITHIN THE ADJACENT OVERLAPPING ONE BY FOLDING AT SAID BOLT MEANS FROM SAID ONE END OF THE ASSEMBLY AND AN UNFOLDED POSITION WHEREIN THE SECTION PAIRS ARE HELD RIGIDLY ALIGNED BY THE OVERLAPPING FLANGES AT THE RESPECTIVE ENDS THEREOF. 